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http://www.deccanherald.com/images/deccanhereald-logo.gif14498Feed provided by Deccanherald.'ICT initiatives should reach rural colleges too'http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585775/ict-initiatives-should-reach-rural.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585775/ict-initiatives-should-reach-rural.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:20:25 +0530Mangaluru: December 10, 2016, DHNSAdditional Chief Secretary to Government of Karnataka (Higher Education) Bharat Lal Meena said the state government has entered into an agreement through which sharing of human resources is enabled among private universities, government colleges and grant-in-aid colleges in the State.

He said the teachers from grant-in-aid, government, private colleges and universities can upload the videos of their lecture to the server of the Higher Education Department to be shared among those who would like to learn from it. Some well-known private universities and colleges have already uploaded their teaching methodology and lectures on the web portal, he said while speaking at a conference on 'Issues and Concerns of Affiliated Colleges' organised by the College Development Council of Mangalore University here on Friday.

Answering to an attendance in the classroom needs to be replaced with the new e-attendance software by the teachers, he said. It will allow teachers to mark attendance on smart devices, such as smartphones and the same data getting registered in the server as well. This will also prevent tampering of the attendance, he felt.

Bharat Lal Meena said the government has introduced e-feedback system, a part of Gnana Sangama, the government's ambitious initiative to adopt technology in higher education. The e-feedback system is linked to the attendance and timetable of a student. The feedback will be uploaded to the server and college principals can monitor the feedback and the feedback would also help the teachers to improve their teaching skills, he said.

Information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives have been introduced to facilitate ease of academic reach for students in colleges and universities, he said. At present, the ICT implementation has become a top-down approach. The use of ICT should penetrate down to all the colleges in rural areas as well. The teachers should make use of the ICT tools, thereby improve the quality of education, he said. Calling upon teachers to prepare the new generations to face future, he said colleges and universities are temples of learning. Students are the biggest stakeholders of education system. The perception of teachers on government colleges should change, he said.

Stressing the need for accreditation of colleges, he said educational institutions that are not accreditated should make an effort to achieve it. Hardly a few colleges and universities have a record of their alumni. The alumni can be a source of funding for the colleges and universities. The colleges that come under Mangalore University jurisdiction can serve as a skill hub of the world, he said.

UGC Additional Secretary Dr P Prakash said affiliated colleges should strive to impart quality education to students. Though education sector requires 6% of the GDP, only 3.8% has been earmarked for education and in this, only 1.4 % comes to higher education, he said.

There is a need to address the issue of permanent affiliation and accreditation for colleges. The UGC has introduced e-PG Pathshala, an ambitious project to make available high quality e-content for students of post graduate courses, he said.

Presiding over the programme, Mangalore University Vice Chancellor K Byrappa said the full lecture of teachers in the university would be recorded and uploaded on its web portal. The college teachers should make use of the state-of-the art laboratories in the university and write research proposals to funding agencies of the government to get grant for research activities. The teachers should bring in inclusiveness in higher education, he said. ]]>Need to conduct more research on seafood poisoning stressedhttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585774/need-conduct-more-research-seafood.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585774/need-conduct-more-research-seafood.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:19:06 +0530Mangaluru: December 10, 2016, DHNSThe incidents of seafood poisoning can also be sensitive from the point of law and order, along with that of ecological reasons, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shantaraju. He was speaking as the chief guest at the Indo-Swedish workshop on 'Human Health and Well Being at Risk: Microbial Blooms, Climate Change and Urbanisation in Mangalore', organised by Nitte University at Nitte Education International at Pumpwell on Friday.

The DCP referred to the incident near Ullal recently were hundreds of people fell ill after consuming a red snapper, locally recognised as Chemberi which was poisoned with marine toxins. There is a lot of anxiety associated with such incidents, he said. Though urbanisation is inevitable, its after-effects can lead to ecological disasters, such as seafood poisoning, he said and felt for a need to conduct more and more research on seafood poisoning.

University of Gothernburg Professor Anna Godhe said the outbreak of seafood poisoning incidents are increasing as the cities are expanding. This has to do with the climate change. When one consumes the seafood which is affected by marine toxins, the toxin substances accumulate in the muscles and will create health issues, she said.

Nitte University Director (Research and Development) Dr Indrani Karunasagar said the team at Nitte University has collaborated with the team led by Dr Anna Godhe of University of Gothenburg, Sweden, since 20 years towards research on climate change induced harmful microbial blooms along the Indian West Coast.

The potential impacts on consumers and producers of marine products with respect to the climate change and related issues, is being assessed, she said. Nitte University Registrar B S Moodithaya presided over the programme. Dr Per Knutsson of the University of Gothenburg and Dr Lucy Turner of Plymouth University, United Kingdom, were among those present on the occasion.]]>Wenlock will be upgraded as regional hospital: Ministerhttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585772/wenlock-upgraded-regional-hospital-minister.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585772/wenlock-upgraded-regional-hospital-minister.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:17:16 +0530Mangaluru: December 10, 2016, DHNSIn what may boost health services for poor and economically weaker sections, the state government has decided to upgrade the District Wenlock Hospital as a regional hospital, providing super speciality services in four years down the line.

Announcing this to reporters on Friday here, Minister for Health andFamily Welfare KRRamesh Kumar said, "As the good old Wenlock Hospital receives patients from seven to eight districts, besides from neighbouring Kerala, it has been decided to upgrade the hospital as a regional hospital. In addition to this, it will be made autonomous on the lines of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research Centre in Bengaluru, to make it a super speciality hospital."

Renewal of MoUThe minister said that it has also been decided to renew the existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kasturba Medical College (KMC) that is set to end soon. The authorities at Kasturba College have expressed their willingness to renew the MoU, agreeing to the condition of the government that they have to create infrastructure for a speciality hospital.

It requires not less than Rs 120 crore to Rs 130 crore to build a super speciality hospital and theKMC has agreed to invest money.According to the demand, they will have to build a lakh square foot building for surgical services in first phase, followed by restoration of services and renovation of existing wings in the later stages that may take another four years, he said.

Replying to a query over KMC reneging on the conditions earlier, the minister said, "The Law Department will vet any such complaints before taking a final call on continuing with the MoU, as the government has sought a month's time to arrive at a consensus." Regarding child care centre, the minister said, "It will be upgraded as regional institute on the lines of Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health inBengaluru (formerly Victoria Hospital)."

Additional fundsTaking cognisance of long-pending demands at Lady GoschenHospital, Ramesh Kumar said, "It has been decided to sanction Rs 10 crore in addition to Rs 21 crore being spent by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) on 500 beds maternity care and health building at the hospital, under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. The building will be in inaugurated on March 23, 2017, on the birth anniversary of socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia."

The other decisions include inclusion of proposed 126-bed new building at Wenlock Hospital estimated to cost Rs 9.70 crore under National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) project and release of Rs 5 crore towards restoration of old building that dates back to Tipu Sultan's period at the same hospital. The total cost is estimated at Rs 18.20 crore and the remaining funds will be released in the coming years, he said.

Earlier in the day, the minister presided over a review meeting. District In-charge Minister BRamanath Rai, Government Whip in the Legislative Council Ivan D'Souza, MLAs JRLobo and Mohiuddin Bawa, Dr Shalini RajneeshGoel, principal secretary, department of Health and Family Welfare, and Director Dr Nataraj participated in the meeting.]]>'Set up advisory body for state disaster management authorities'http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585771/set-up-advisory-body-state.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585771/set-up-advisory-body-state.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:16:10 +0530Mangaluru, December 10, 2016, DHNSMangaluru-based doctor and Centre for Health and Development Chief Executive Dr Edmond Fernandes has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking the court's intervention to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and Offices of the Chief Ministers and Principal Secretaries - Revenue (Disaster Management) to take appropriate steps to set up advisory body at the State Disaster Management Authority in all the states.

As per the Disaster Management Act 2005, it is mandatory to have an advisory body at the State Disaster Management Authority. In the PIL, Dr Fernandes Vs Union of India and others, the petitioner has prayed to the court to order the formation of such a body involving all stakeholders, like public health doctors, public health engineers, social scientists, architects, town planners and journalists so that disaster preparedness, response, relief and rehabilitation are effectively carried out with proper drills and capacity building exercises from time to time.

The petitioner has stated in the PIL that he has been deeply moved by the tragic stories of loss and grief during disasters as people work a lifetime to build something and nature takes it down in few minutes. The need to give attention to disaster management is long overdue, he has said. The petitioner has also said that 2015 was the hottest year on record and India was among the top three countries in the world hit by disaster and having a economic loss worth $3.30 billion.

"On an average, India losses $10 billion per year due to disaster. The idea to achieve sustainable development goals will be an exercise in futile submission if we do not prepare for addressing the grave public health issue of disaster management and prevent a watershed moment for development. Disasters lead to disruption of health services, damages infrastructure, affects agriculture and creates livestock losses besides compromising on security for women, children and elderly. Rapidly proliferating climate change are compelling enough to review, strengthen and institutionalize risk reduction, multi-sectoral capacity building and emergency public health preparedness," he said.]]>Amasebailu to become first solar GP in Udupi districthttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585770/amasebailu-become-first-solar-gp.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585770/amasebailu-become-first-solar-gp.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:14:33 +0530Udupi: December 10, 2016, DHNSThe process of installing solar lamps at all houses of Amasebailu Gram Panchayat is nearing completion and with this, Amasebailu Gram Panchayat is all set to become the first 'Solar Gram Panchayat' in Udupi district.

Amasebailu Charitable Trust President A G Kodgi told reporters that Amasebailu has two villages, Rattadi and Machattu, with 1,872 houses. The trust had chalked out programmes to instal solar lamps at all households in 2012 itself. But owing to various reasons, the project was delayed. The installation of solar lamps was started in May this year and India Pvt. Ltd was entrusted with the responsibility of installing lamps. According to the conditions agreed upon in the tender, the company gave a five-year guarantee for solar lamps with a half-yearly maintenance and a provision to replace faulty lamps.

In the first phase, 397 houses were illuminated and 548 houses were covered in the second phase. The third phase of lighting 73 houses is currently under way. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2.13 crore and about 20% of the cost has been shared by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd, 30% by the ministry of energy and Rs 25 lakh from district administration.

Amasebailu PDO Bhaskar Shetty said some families have already installed solar lamps before the commencement of the project. About 20 streetlights light up with solar power, Shetty said.

"There are 30 temples and a mosque in the Gram Panchayat jurisdiction and efforts are on to promote solar lamps in places of worship as well," he said. Vishwesha Theertha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt has agreed to sponsor the installation of solar lamps in these places of worship, Kodgi said.

The cost for installing two solar lamps was Rs 9,900, while it was Rs 16,000 for four lamps. The beneficiaries had to pay Rs 3,000 for two lamps, while it cost Rs 6,000 for four solar lamps.

In the case of Koraga community beneficiaries, the Gram Panchayat has borne the amount of Rs 3,000 per beneficiary while in the case of other Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes beneficiaries, it had spent Rs 2,000 per beneficiary for installation of lamps, he said.

With the accomplishment of the project the efforts of the district administration, Gram Panchayat, Amasebailu Charitable Trust, Karnataka Bank and Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project have borne fruit, he said. ]]>'Ayurveda, Naturopathy help to regain peace of mind'http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585768/ayurveda-naturopathy-help-regain-peace.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585768/ayurveda-naturopathy-help-regain-peace.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:13:18 +0530Talapady: December 10, 2016, DHNSOpposition Leader in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar said Ayurveda and Naturopathy treatments help to regain the peace of mind. He was speaking at the inaugural programme of Sharada Ayurdhama and the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of Sharada Ayurveda Medical College at Devinagara in Talapady on Thursday.

He said peace of mind is lost due to increasing stress nowadays. Physical health improves if the mental health improves. Yoga and meditation are the best possible ways to achieve both, he said. Shettar said he is practising Yoga and is not bothered about hypertension or diabetes though he is more than 60 years old. Yoga also helps to develop a disciplined lifestyle, he said.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader said there is a need to create more awareness on the benefits of Yoga and Naturopathy among people. But the situation in the world of medicine and healthcare is changing today. People are gradually shifting to Ayurveda and Naturopathy. Ayurveda medication helps to build immunity. There is a large scope for Ayurveda tourism in the region, he said.

The Muzrai Department will observe Datta Jayanti at Inam Dattatreya Baba Budan Swamy Dargah from December 10 to 13. Drinking water, food, prasadam, and medical facilities have been made for the devotees. The road leading to Datta Peeta has been repaired, Deputy Commissioner G Satyavathi and SP K Annamalai told a joint press conference here on Friday.

They said the devotees and members of various organisations who visit Datta Peeta should not carry sound systems and Trishulas. All the shops at the Datta Peeta will be closed during the celebrations, they said. Annamalai said elaborate security arrangements have been made to prevent untoward incidents. About 2,500 police personnel would be deployed for maintaining law and order in the district. All arrangements have been made to ensure that the devotees visiting Datta Peeta and taking part in Eid-e-Milad procession do not come face-to-face, he said.

A total of five CCTV cameras have been installed at Datta Peeta. In addition, 38 CCTVcameras have been installed at strategic locations. The police have collected indemnity bond of Rs 5 lakh each from 28 persons who had disrupted peace during Datta Jayanti celebrations last year. The Police Department has collected indemnity bond of Rs 10 lakh each from 68 persons who have taken up the responsibility of organising the event and maintaining peace, he said.

Restriction on visitorsIn the wake of a large number of devotees visiting Datta Peeta during December 11 to 13, the visit of tourists to Bababudangiri and surrounding areas has been restricted. The private vehicles cannot enter the hillocks without prior permission, DC Satyavathi said. ]]>'Demonetisation decision is worse than Emergency'http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585766/demonetisation-decision-worse-emergency.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585766/demonetisation-decision-worse-emergency.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:10:17 +0530Madikeri: December 10, 2016, DHNSThe decision of the Union government to demonetise high denomination currency notes without any preparation is the worst decision than Emergency, Dr K C Raghu, analyst from Bengaluru, said.

Speaking at a seminar on the impact of demonetisation organised by Pragathipara Chinthakara Vedike in the city on Friday, he said it would take a few more years to implement cashless system in India. "Modi's dream of Digital India cannot be implemented overnight," he said.

Dr Raghu said the sudden scrapping of high denomination notes has affected the labour class and middle class. There are six crore small industries in India providing employment to 18 crore persons. The industries have invested Rs 14,00,000 crore. The demonetisation of notes has affected the small industries in a big way. There is a need to generate employment for 2.5 crore people in a year. But during the BJP's reign, only 2.5 lakh jobs have been generated so far and 12 lakh people have lost their livelihood, he said.

He asked whether it is justifiable act to change the entire system in the name of bringing out Rs 3,00,000 crore black money within the country. It would require at least two more years to bring back the economy the country on a track. In the name of demonetisation, several rich persons have converted their black money into white. They have not felt the heat of demonetisation. It is the common man who is anxious over their hard earned money, he said.

Former MLC and senior advocate A K Subbaiah said there is a conspiracy to sell the country to 3G and 4G network companies in the name of Digital India. The honest people in the country have been insulted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is right as he has termed PayTM as Pay to Modi, he said.

Congress Labour Cell President V P Shashidhar said, "The remote villages do not have banking system. About 50% of the people do not have bank accounts. In such a condition, it would be impossible to have cashless system in India for the time being. Instead of Rs 2,000 note, the RBI should have at least circulated Rs 500 new notes in the country," he felt. CPM district leader Dr I R Durga Prasad and others spoke.

]]>Preserve versatility of regional languages: Malati Pattanshettihttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585765/preserve-versatility-regional-languages-malati.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585765/preserve-versatility-regional-languages-malati.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:09:11 +0530Madikeri, December 10, 2016, DHNSKarnataka Sahitya Academy chairperson Malati Pattanashetti said Kannada language will be richer that if Tulu, Kodava, Arebhashe and Beary languages are developed. At an interaction 'Bhasha Bandhavya' held as a part of Samskritika Samarasya meet held at Field Marshal Cariappa College Ground in the city on Thursday, she said all languages are treasure houses of knowledge and experience. The versatility of the regional languages must be preserved. This can be made possible if Kannada and other regional languages are kept alive. The linguistic academies Konkani, Tulu, Beary, Arebhashe and Kodava should work for this purpose, she said.

Kanaka Studies and Research Centre coordination officer Ka Ta Chikkanna said that only those who can experience the beauty of languages can have command over languages. The cultural aspects are involved in every language, he said.

According to the information provided by Unesco, there are 7,900 languages in the world. There are 3,852 languages in India and 440 of them have script. More than 3,000 languages do not have their own scripts. As much as 190 languages are in the verge of extinction and 79 are endangered. Koraga language of Karnataka is one among them, he said.

Sudha weekly magazine assistant editor B M Hanif said Beary, Kodava, Konkani and Arebhashe languages are used by the general public. There is no hard and fast rules regarding the grammar. Beary language has a history of 1,400 years. This shows that a language can exist even without a script. There may be around 15 lakh people who speak the language, he said.

Work on Beary-Kannada-English dictionary by the Beary Sahitya Academy is in progress. 20% of the words in the dictionary are pure Beary words. The language has an intellectual background. Konkani, Kodava and Beary languages have contributed to the development of Kannada language, he said.

Journalist Aitichanda Ramesh Uttappa said Kodava language is on the verge of extinction. The language represents a culture. Due to various reasons, the number of people who speak Kodava language has decreased.

According to the 2001 census, only 1.66 lakh people speak Kodava language. This shows that if the primary education is not carried out in mother tongue, it may prove to be detrimental for the existence of the very language, he said. ]]>Integrate biology with technical courses for better career prospects: VTU VChttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585763/integrate-biology-technical-courses-better.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585763/integrate-biology-technical-courses-better.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:07:05 +0530Mysuru: December 10, 2016, DHNS"Biology should be integrated with technical courses to enhance the career prospects of students," said Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Vice Chancellor Karisiddappa. Karisiddappa was addressing a gathering during the inaugural ceremony of an international conference on 'Electrical, Electronics, Communication, Computer and Optimisation Techniques (ICEECCOT-2016)' organised by GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women (GSSSIETW) here on Friday.

The VCsaid, "Knowledge of biology is vital for students to take up research work and it would be helpful if the subject is integrated with technical courses." Karisiddappa said the conference is relevant for researchers working on projects related to development of the country. "All branches in engineering are inter-related and researchers should familiarise themselves with technology to build their career and also contribute towards the nation," he said.

Karisiddappa said, educational institutions should produce industry-ready professionals. He said VTUwould extend support to institutions for organising seminars and conferences which can help boost talent and knowledge among students.

In his inaugural address, Krishnaraj Madhavjee Sunjiv Soyjaudh, professor of Communication Engineering, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Republic of Mauritius, said conferences and seminars are helpful to researchers in building their technical growth at the industry level. "Upgrading technology in reputed universities across India is the need of the hour. Adoption of learning methods of the University of Mauritius by Indian institutions would help in creating more talented professionals," he said.

The conference aims at offering a podium to scientists and engineers from different backgrounds to present and discuss their latest research ideas, results, potential applications and possible road ahead broadly in the areas of electronics, communication, electrical engineering and interdisciplinary areas of control engineering, robotics, internet, network security and cloud technologies.

Speaking at a seminar on impact of demonetisation, organised by Pragathipara Chintha- kara Vedike at Madikeri on Friday, Dr Raghu, a food and nutrition expert, said that it would take a few more years to implement cashless system in India. "Modi's dream of digital India cannot be implemented overnight."

The sudden scrapping of high denomination notes has affected the labour class and middle-class. There are six-crore small industries in India, providing employment to 18 crore persons. The industries have invested Rs 14,00,000 crore. The demonetisation of notes has affected the small industries in a big way. There is a need to generate 2.5 crore employment in a year. However, during the BJP reign, only 2.5 lakh employment has been generated, so far, and 12 lakh people have lost their livelihood, he said.

He asked whether it is justifiable to change the entire system in the name of bringing out Rs 3,00,000 crore black money within the country. It would require, at least, two more years to bring back the economy on the track. In the name of demonetisation, several rich persons have converted black money to white. They have not felt the heat of demonetisation. It is the common man who is losing his sleep on how to save his hard-earned money.

Former MLC and senior advocate A K Subbaiah said there is a conspiracy to sell the country to the 3G and 4G network companies in the name of Digital India. The honest people in the country are insulted by Prime Minister Modi. It waspright on the part of AICC vice President to term PayTM as Pay to Modi.

Congress labour cell unit president V P Shashidhar said "The remote villages do not have banking system. About 50% of the people do not have bank accounts. In such a scenario, it would be impossible to have cashless system in India for the time being. Instead of Rs 2,000 note, the RBI should have at least supplied enough Rs 500 new notes in the country," he felt. CPM district leader Dr I R Durga Prasad and others spoke. ]]>Concerted efforts needed to eradicate corruption: Doreswamyhttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585761/concerted-efforts-needed-eradicate-corruption.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585761/concerted-efforts-needed-eradicate-corruption.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:04:30 +0530Melkote (Mandya District):December 10, 2016, DHNSFreedom fighter HSDoreswamy has said that demonetisation is a good move to root out black money but similar efforts should be sustained at regular intervals for the desired results.

Addressing the gathering at the inaugural convention of Karnataka State Sarvodaya Samaj, organised by Karnataka Sarvodaya Mandal and District Sarvodaya Mitra Mandala, here on Friday, he said, poor had continued to remain poor while the rich seemed unaffected. He said it is every citizen's responsibility to eradicate poverty, and industrialists should provide details of transactions so as to maintain transparency.

He said most industrialists like Ambani brothers, Gautam Adani and Tatas are making profits and the marginalised sections of the society and farmers are suffering a lot. He urged the government to eradicate poverty by monitoring transaction details of business tycoons.

Doreswamy said, while the salary of people's representatives had crossed lakhs, most politicians are concerned only about their personal growth. He said a move like demonetisation would not be able to cleanse the present system as even elections are based on money and only those with a strong financial backing get elected.

Doreswamy lauded the efforts of members of Sarvodaya Mandala for working towards the welfare of people since Independence. He said members had earlier opposed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and G-7 agreement but in recent years, there had been a decline in the number of members. He said there was a need to strengthen the mandala for the welfare of the society.

Mandala president Surendra Koulagi said economic status and social development had created an attitudinal shift between the people in the society and it is necessary to establish values in the nation to maintain equality.]]>Christmas fever grips heritage cityhttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585760/christmas-fever-grips-heritage-city.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585760/christmas-fever-grips-heritage-city.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:03:20 +0530Ranjith Kandya Mysuru:December 10, 2016, DHNSThe City of Palaces is soaking in the Christmas spirit with churches being decked up to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The month-long celebrations have begun with cake mixing, carol singing and greetings being exchanged to spread the good cheer associated with the festival.

Preparations for the festival began in the first week of December with Christians distributing cakes and sweets to their beloved ones. Christians have also started door-to-door carol singing and exchanging greetings while a large number of professionals are gathering at chapels and churches in the evening hours to help out in preparations. Midnight mass prayers will be offered on December 24 along with a cake-cutting ceremony on Christmas eve.

Father Vijaykumar, Assistant Parish Priest at St Joseph's Church in Jayalakshmipuram, said community members have enthusiastically taken up decoration of the church. He said a model of Santa Claus arriving in a parachute and a large crib would be the main attractions in the church. "Amodel of baby Jesus will be placed in the crib," he said. Preparations and events commence from December first week and celebrations will continue throughout the month, he said. Similar preparations are on in other churches too, the priest said.

"Christmas is a time for rejoicing and celebrating but a busy lifestyle does not allow people to meet often. During Christmas people make up for lost time and come together to celebrate with friends and family," Deepti, a resident of Jayalakshmipuram, said. This year she plans to decorate her house with a Christmas tree and colourful lamps.

Education institutions and hotels are also organising competitions like carol singing and cake mixing to mark the festival. St Joseph's Education Institution organised a district-level carol singing competition for students last Sunday and another competition has been scheduled for next Sunday. Vijaykumar said professional singers, general public and students are expected to take part in the event. Many hotels and restaurants organise events like cake mixing and host lavish brunches, dinners too.]]>Farmers demand closure of stone crushing unithttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585759/farmers-demand-closure-stone-crushing.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585759/farmers-demand-closure-stone-crushing.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:02:10 +0530Chikkaballapur:December 10, 2016, DHNSForty farmers of Gollahalli in Kasaba hobli of the taluk have complained that they are badly affected by an illegal stone crushing unit in the village. They said Rock Sand Minerals, a private company, is engaged in stone crushing from the last one year on survey number 14/P in the village and it is affecting agricultural activities in the village.

They claimed that they cannot even provide fodder to their cattle. The farmers said they were cultivating 200 acres of government land on survey number 14/P from a few decades and received title deeds of the land in 1996. Anjinappa, one of the farmers who received the title deed of two acres of land, has given his land to a private company on lease. Also, he has given a borewell, dug for agriculture purpose under Ganga Kalyana project, to the company in violation of rules, they charged.

They also said the company has encroached upon the surrounding three acres of land for stone crushing activities. The dust rising from the unit has covered agricultural fields and is affecting the crops. Also, the pieces of boulders being burst in the mining area have filled the farms, they poured out their woes.

GVKrishnappa, a farmer, said, "We can't grow any crops due to dust from the stone crushing unit. Fodder is also not available. Dust from the unit settles down on our crops. We can't even graze our cattle as the meadows are covered with dust. It is also affecting the wild animals. Some farmers have already sold their cattle as they cannot find fodder."

"We had given complaints against the illegal stone crushing unit to the deputy commissioner, deputy tahsildar, Mines and Geology Department and other government departments.The tahsildar officials of the Mines and Geology Department and Pollution Control Board inspected the unit a week ago. They have told the company to stop the unit. Since then, the company has stopped the unit in the morning. But the unit is functioning at night," he charged.

Maddoorappa, another farmer, said, "I have lost tur and Avare crops to the stone crushing unit's activities and incurred a loss of Rs 2 lakh. What should we do if the situation goes on like this?"Farmer Nagaraj said the stone crushing has hit his marigold farm hard. "The flowers were full of dust. I had to sell my flowers at cheaper rates."

The affected farmers have urged the district administration to take steps to completely stop the stone crushing unit and also provide compensation for crop loss. They also want the government to take back the land and borewell.

They said the stone crushing unit owner has threatened them with dire consquences when they asked him to stop the unit. Farmers' leader Yaluvahalli Sonnegowda said permission should not be given to stone crushing units on agricultural land. The small farmers do not have any means except the land provided by the government, he said. ]]>Wine dearer this season as grape cultivation dipshttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585757/wine-dearer-season-grape-cultivation.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585757/wine-dearer-season-grape-cultivation.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 19:00:52 +0530Bosky Khanna Bengaluru: December 10, 2016, DHNSDrought, coupled with decreasing plantation, is making wine more expensive this year. Production has dropped because of scanty rainfall in Vijayapura in northern Karnataka and districts around Bengaluru, the main grape-growing areas in the state. Also, vineyards are making way for real-estate projects.

In 2015-16, production of grapes for wine-making was 9,000 tonnes. This year, the yield is lower by 1,000 tonnes, Karnataka Wine Board (KBW) Managing Director T Somu said. Last financial year, 68 lakh litres of wine were produced, as against just 40 lakh till November this year. The harvesting season is over, so the production won't go up further. "November and December is when grapes are plucked for wine production,'' he said.

Bengaluru special A variety of grape, called Bangalore blue, is used for red wine production. It is mainly grown in and around Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagaram districts.

"Grapes have turned sweet, which makes them good for table consumption and not for wine making. For wine production, the acidic content should be high,'' Somu explained.

Depleting groundwater is one of the reasons farmers are moving away from grape cultivation. Another key reason is the rapid urbanisation around Devanhalli, just a few km from the Kempegowda International Airport. Farmers are selling their lands to realtors or entering into joint development agreements.

In Bengaluru rural, 1,411 hectares are under grape cultivation, and can produce 25,992 tonnes. Of this, 40% is used for table consumption. Devanahalli, where grapes used to be cultivated on 1,500 acres, has recorded a decline of 500 acres.

Vijayapura district has also registered a 20% to 25% drop in cultivation from the regular 1,500 acres because of drought, and 10% because of hailstorms, Somu said. The board plans to launch wine tours in Vijayapura. The idea was mooted five years ago, but little has moved. Grover and Heritage Wines are currently offering tours privately.]]>When light red ants weaved their nests on treeshttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/585756/when-light-red-ants-weaved.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/585756/when-light-red-ants-weaved.htmlFri, 9 Dec 2016 18:59:22 +0530Gudibande: December 10, 2016, DHNSA close look at the branches of Mango, Jamoons, Beech and Jackfruit trees and one can come across various ant nests. Huddled up and nestled among the thick growth of leaves and away from the preying eyes, these nests are masterpieces in ever aspect.

The light red variety of ants which are usually found on the trees are popularly known as the "Gandrakothlu" ants in the local language, are usually found in colonies. Most variety of ants reside below the grounds. However, this variety of light red ants are found in the trees. They build nests which are akin to the birds' nests. The study of these nests prove how well the ants manage and coordinate in their colonies.

The industrious ants, work unitedly till their goal is achieved. Excellent craftsmanship and mastery over the art of weaving nests, the ants are an of example of labour and hard work. The manner is which the nests are woven with great dexterity and intricacy is enough to prove the complex mechanisms the ants follow. The manner is which the nests are woven is both admirable and unique. They chose some of the sturdy and strong leaves and join their narrow ends and weave them together. They bend the edges of the leaves in whatever shape they require and create a great hollow. They strengthen the leaves further with additional twigs and branches and create enough space to accommodate thousands and thousands of ants. The nest is built within a span of 24 hours and ensure that it is water proof and weather proof.

Usually, the nests are perched on the corners of the branches and are hidden. They are located extremely high and are not reachable neither visible for their predators. In case of danger, they defend themselves by rushing out of in large numbers, making loud noises. They believe in tackling their enemies in a group. The light red ants are mostly found in hot and humid regions. They feed on a few variety of green vegetation and also on a few small insects mostly found on trees. If the ant colonies get bigger, they break up into smaller ones and build various nests on the same tree. They keep migrating from one nest to another and also keep shifting their eggs from one nest to another.

Ants are social animals and are known for their united efforts. Most of their colonies have a couple of queens, a few male ants and lakhs and lakhs of workers, who are again segregated into senior and junior workers. The job of the queen ant is only to lay eggs. Building of nests, collecting food and defending the nest from the enemies are the jobs assigned to senior ants.

While defending themselves from their enemies, the ants often segregate a chemical substance called formic acid. When ever an ant bites, the area becomes red and swollen. Due to the presence of acid, the area also burns. This formic acid has medicinal properties, and is used in the preparation of a few medicines also.]]>